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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22970626">Of chocolate, cupid and a sweetheart.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fighting_for_Creativity/pseuds/Fighting_for_Creativity'>Fighting_for_Creativity</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Attempt at Humor, Avengers Family, Bucky Barnes Bingo Romance Fluffathon Week 2020, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Gets a Hug, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Cupid - Freeform, Fluff and Crack, Implied Sexual Content, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, M/M, Matchmaker Natasha Romanov, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Pepper get's the better deal, Phil Coulson Has the Patience of a Saint, Protective Bruce Banner, Protective Hulk (Marvel), Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, like at the very end if you squint, maybe? - Freeform, the hardship of love, unbetad, valentines day</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:27:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,388</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22970626</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fighting_for_Creativity/pseuds/Fighting_for_Creativity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony has been pining for Bucky for months now. Was it any wonder he hated Valentines day, when he couldn't get the one he wanted?</p><p>Bucky loved nearly everything about the weeks leading to Valentines day, including the chocolate and romance everywhere. If he just could get Tony to love him.</p><p>~~~~<br/>I don't know what happened here but I seem to have first published the unedited and unbetaed version. WHICH MEANS IS FULL OF GRAMMAR MISTAKES and other things. (Update 03/03/20 GTM+1 I corrected what I was capable of. I hope to get around to let it be looked over by a beta soon.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clint Barton/Phil Coulson, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Minor or Background Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>143</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>BBB Special Events</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Of chocolate, cupid and a sweetheart.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is for day 6 of the BBB fluffathon 2020.</p><p>all three words included:<br/>- cupid, cutie, chocolate</p><p>as is the gif: A male head being caressed by female hands.</p><p>Hope you have fun with reading this as much as I did while writing.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>How could it be that Tony forgot about birthdays and anniversaries, but never about Valentines day? It wasn’t even a day Tony could celebrate, seeing that he was single. This year it was even worst. Because this year he had a crush, he wouldn’t dare to confess to and nosy Avengers bugging him about his love life. ‘Seriously, Nat, you need other hobbies.’</p><p>The genius had wanted to fly to Malibu for a while, until the madness named Avengers hyped on too much sugar would be safely evaded. But even that was thwarted. Because, apparently, Loki hated his guts and decided on <em>pranking</em> S.H.I.E.L.D and the Avengers every second or so day. Meaning they had to stay in NY. Maybe Tony could even live with this situation. That was, if his crush stopped being so nice to him and finally stick to his boyfriend, Steve.</p><p>Honestly, what had Tony done to deserve getting his heart broken over and over again?</p><p>~~</p><p>Bucky loved Valentines day. He loved the decorations in the stores and parks. He enjoyed the big variety of chocolates and ingredients to make your own. Bucky liked to whistle to those very silly love songs, and laughed with Natalia about her most ridiculous candidates for Steve's love life. His all-time favorite so far was Nick Fury. That was surely not going to be an explosive barrel, not at all.</p><p>Clint and Phil were sickeningly sweet considering how much Phil hated PDA, and Sam complained about all the failed dates. Thor tended to bark about Jane or past conquest, which at one point lead to Bucky telling about a lot of his. Until Clint whistled and said: “Here I thought Tony had been a man-whore.”</p><p>Neither Bruce nor Sam looked happy about that statement, and Rhodes had downright glared at the archer.</p><p>Yet, there was one thing he didn’t like about all of this. In the weeks before Valentines day, Tony got more and more subdued until not even his most favorite drink- <em>coffee</em>- got a reaction. He spent hours over hours in his workshop, barely coming out. If Tony did come to the common area, Bucky tried to engage him in whatever was happening. At first, it always seemed to work, until Tony looked away from Bucky and somewhere else. If the super-soldier just knew what was bothering Tony so much, he could help him.</p><p>Bucky had it bad, he knew that- <em>thank you, Stevie, rub it in some more</em>. He wanted to bundle the smaller man in blankets and give him hot chocolate whenever he shivered. Bucky yearned to hug him, to hold him. At first, he had believed himself sick for wanting to do such things with a man. Well, in his confusion he had consulted the internet, which had lead to JARVIS explaining things to him.</p><p>Still, the AI had lacked some understanding of human feelings and thus Bucky found himself on Nat’s door. <em> That </em>talk was beyond informative.</p><p>Bucky tried to flirt with Tony. Bucky tried providing for Tony. Bucky even bribed him with coffee. However, nothing got the genius to stay long enough with him. It got to the point where everyone was aware of his affection.</p><p>“You know, you could just tell him” drawled Natalia while she leaned casually on the kitchen counter. In the background, Clint shouting about the wrong manhandling of bow and arrow in a movie Bucky couldn’t care to remember the name of. Something about a tribute.</p><p>“I could. Or I could- what was it that Peter said? Yeet myself outta the next window. Would be the same result.”</p><p>“Stop being ridiculous, Yasha.”</p><p>Natalia’s voice was soft as she said it, but her eyes were filled with mirth, so Bucky waited for her to continue. Which she did. “You have a higher chance to survive the fall, than a confrontation with Tony if he didn’t like you the same way.”</p><p>“What do you mean if? He doesn’t. Have you not seen how he literally flees the room whenever I try to hold a long conversation. None of you have that problem!”</p><p>He knew his voice raised. He knew the others had stopped what they were doing, but right now the only person he cared about hearing this was not around. It was the day before valentines day and Tony was absent yet again.</p><p>Steve came over, trying to put a hand on his friend’s shoulder, but was shrugged of instantly. “Hey, Bucky…”</p><p>“Oh c’mon Stevie. We both know that it’s true.” He didn’t care if his voice was harsh and cutting. Bucky felt raw and wounded, angry and frustrated, lonely and heartbroken. He wanted to lash out and hurt others. Suddenly he felt nimble fingers in his hair, Natalia’s fingers, ruffling through his hair and massaging his scalp. “Hey, Yasha… We’re on your side. Let us help you.”</p><p>She managed to take away some of his tension. After a bit, he nodded and she let her hands fall away. Steve’s worried gaze met his, and Bucky smiled full of hurt but stepped into the offered embrace, resting his face against Steve’s shoulder.</p><p>“Hey guys, have you-” Tony’s voice halted and before Bucky was even capable of disengaging from Steve, Tony continued nervously: “Well, never mind. It’s in the workshop most likely- night.”</p><p>Bucky only saw how the elevator doors shut behind the resident genius.</p><p>“Ok, this is getting ridiculous! Rhodes, you know what’s going on, don’t you?” Natalia rounded on the Connel. It was impressive to see how he didn't even flinch. Before he answered, he looked at Bucky, seemingly considering something.</p><p>“Ok, I can’t tell you what’s up. But Barnes, if you really like my brother, you better show him that.”</p><p>Bucky couldn’t help but snort at that. Showing Tony how much he meant to Bucky? What did Rhodes believed had Bucky been trying to do the past few months?</p><p>“I go and talk to him, but not before you didn’t figure out a plan of attack.”</p><p>A bit stunned Bucky mouthed ‘plan of attack’ before Natalia spoke with a wicked gleam in her eyes: “Ok, I have one!”</p><p>~~~</p><p>Valentines day was crap, especially if you haven’t slept in- <em>what did J said again? 49 hours?</em> It didn’t matter. Tony could go longer, had matter of fact gone longer without sleep, but the lack of it didn’t improve his mood. However, after seeing the cozy display of Steve and Bucky, all thoughts of joining his crazy family had escaped his mind, and he decided to stay locked up for however long it would take to not hurt so much anymore.</p><p>JARVIS, that traitor, had let Rhodey in around hour 3 after the <em>‘hug-incident’</em> how Tony liked to refer to it. They hadn’t talked, not really. Not about what had happened. Somewhere around hour 9, Rhodey crashed on his workshop couch, leaving Tony to designing and programming. Around hour 15, not that Tony kept count, JARVIS informed him that should he want to get some food or something to drink undisturbed, now would be excellent timing. Reluctantly Tony agreed.</p><p>The moment he left the workshop, JARVIS waked Rhodey, who locked Tony out of it for now.</p><p>~~~</p><p>When Tony arrived on the common floor, he waited in silence for a moment to see if anyone was still around. Sure JARVIS had said that wouldn’t be the case, but sometimes that sneaky bastard managed to trick Tony. Allegedly all to Tony’s good. The engineer didn’t hear any unnatural sounds so he proceeded with his food quest. The kitchen was indeed empty, but a rather freshly brewed cup of coffee and a plate with chocolate cookies with melted chocolate stood beside it. Knowing his fellow Avengers Tony got suspicious. No note, no death threats, no bribe. Nothing. The plate looked full, barely able to hold all those delicious smelling cookies and for a moment Tony thought that this must be one of Lokis schemes.</p><p>After JARVIS reassured him that those cockies weren’t poisoned, spit in or otherwise gross, Tony took a tentative bite. The moment the cookie hit his taste buds, Tony closed his eyes and a moan escaped him. “Oh by Tesla. This is amazing. Best chocolate cookies I’ve ever had.”</p><p>“I suppose the baker would be delighted to hear that from you, Sir.”</p><p>“Those are homemade? Who did this? Clint? Nat? Don’t tell me it was Bruce? I so gonna sue him for keeping this talent hidden.”</p><p>“I’m sorry Sir, but I’m not allowed to answer that question.”</p><p>“What? But why and how am I supposed to thank whoever this baking fairy is?”</p><p>“How about a pen and paper, Sir?”</p><p>“Ugh!” Tony grumbled between bites and gulps of coffee. “Fine.”</p><p>
  <em> Dear baking fairy, </em>
</p><p>
  <em> these have been the most delicious cookies I’ve ever had. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Thanks, </em>
</p><p>
  <em> T.S. </em>
</p><p>After he wrote the note, and emptied the cup, he took the plate with him to the penthouse. Maybe he could sleep a bit.</p><p>~~~</p><p>Bucky was more than happy when JARVIS pinged him about the success of the mission step 1: luring Tony out of the workshop.</p><p>If Bucky kept that note hidden from too curious eyes, it was no one’s business but his. After all, it was addressed to him.</p><p>“Natalia? Step 2 can start.”</p><p>~~~</p><p>Part of step 2 was mainly Steve’s and Sam’s job. They tag-teamed Fury first, telling him that for the whole of Valentines Day the Avengers and in extension Phil weren’t available. Next was Pepper. They needed to promise to come in and sort paperwork, for her to agree not to bother Tony baring world-ending catastrophes. ‘Somehow’, Sam thought, ‘Pepper was the harder one to convince.’</p><p>“Hey Natasha, “ Steve called her on his cellphone, “Step 3 can start.”</p><p>~~~</p><p>Her plan was working wonderfully, if only Clint wouldn’t be such a baby about it.<br/>“No! I will not wear this!”</p><p>Natasha had already threatened him with her knights, then widow bites and lastly with training seasons. Nothing had persuaded Clint to change into the cupid outfit she has organized. She couldn’t understand why. Clints sole role would be, dressing up as cupid, firing some glitter and heart bomb arrows, bringing Tony a letter from Bucky and saying: <b> <em>Today on the day of love, a sweetheart has been hit with arrows of mine. Find them and accept them as your own, so no one else gets to be their home.</em> </b></p><p>She really couldn’t understand his problem. “Clint, if you don’t do this, the whole mission will fail!”</p><p>“This is not even a real mission, Nat. This is you playing matchmaker!”</p><p>Slowly but surely a migraine was building. “Clint, I swear-”</p><p>“Clint, “ the calm voice of their handler cut Natasha off. “You would do the things without wearing that outfit, right?”</p><p>Clint shrugged and mumbled something which sounded suspicious after: <em> the slogan isn’t the hit either, but sure. </em></p><p>“Good. If Natasha is determined to have the costume be worn, I’ll do it. But you have to do the rest.”</p><p>Dumbstruck, Clint stared at his lover before he jumped him, kissing him breathless. Soon enough, both entered the elevator, leaving for Tony’s penthouse.</p><p>“JARVIS, please tell Yasha that parts 4 and 5 are about to begin.”</p><p>“Will do, Ms. Romanov.”</p><p>~~~</p><p>Tony hadn’t slept much before the nightmares woke him again. He was disorientated and had trouble to come out of the nightmare after images. That was until he smelled the cookies from the night before. He remembered how Ana Jarvis used to bake him some whenever he had bad dreams as a kid. Smiling a bit melancholically, he gathered the last few and ate them in silence. That was until JARVIS announced: “Mr. Barton and Mr. Coulson are on their way, Sir. They will arrive in approximately 3 minutes.”</p><p>“Geez! Thanks for the long heads up J! I swear, sometimes you do this on purpose.”</p><p>Tony had just enough time to put away the plate and comb his hair with his fingers (also, getting sassed by his AI) before the elevator doors opened. Tony was aware that he hasn’t slept much. He also was acutely aware that one can hallucinate from too few hours of sleep. But somehow he doubted he would be able to come up with <em>this</em>.</p><p>Before Tony could verify his hypothesis of it being a weird awake-dream, Clint thrust an envelope at him taking his bow and arrows from a <em> diaper-wearing </em> Phil, with <em>wings on his sodding shoes</em>, and shot two of those arrows over Tony’s head. While they exploded, Clint yelled:</p><p>
  <b> <em>Today on the day of love, a sweetheart has been hit with arrows of mine. Find them and accept them as your own, so no one else gets to be their home.</em> </b>
</p><p>After the glitter bomb has spread glitter everywhere, both agents turned and left. Tony stared after them.</p><p> </p><p>A few minutes later he exclaimed: “WHAT THE FUCK!”</p><p> </p><p>~~~</p><p>If Tony read the letter, he should be arriving in the next five minutes. Part 4 was the second most variable. It all depended on Tony reading the letter in time. Then they would meet here. Meanwhile, Bucky had every groundwork done for part 5, the actual date. Bruce has helped him to decorate and told him Tony’s favorite spices, some of which Bucky had never heard but was eager to learn to cook with.</p><p>That was another part Bruce helped with. He would stay in the kitchen, watching over the slowly simmering food and play waiter for the duration of the date. Bucky was pretty sure, that if it was anyone but Tony, Bruce wouldn’t do more than decorate.</p><p>“Ok… Just before he arrives, one last think Barnes.”</p><p>Ugh, ok. That sounded a bit like the Hulk wanted to have a word with him at the same time. Mustering all the bravado he had, Bucky made a ‘continue please’ motion and waited.</p><p>“Hulk and I are both very close friends of Tony. Neither the Hulk nor I would like anything to happen to him. Especially Hulk is overprotective of his ‘tin man’. So should you ever intend on breaking his heart, you better leave this planet for a while.”</p><p>Bucky took this very serious and he nodded. “I can promise you, if I so much as accidentally hurt him, I won’t run and let the Hulk and you go some rounds at me. Tony is too soft for the world and deserves the best. Sure he shows everyone that he’s ‘made of iron’ but… All I can see is a man who had suffered greatly and deserves whatever makes him happy. If it happens to be me? I will do my damnest to deserve that every single day.”</p><p>Bruce looked at him intently, eyes gleaming with an eerie green twinge. Slowly his eyes returned to normal and he gave Bucky a curt nod. “Ok, we believe you. JARVIS, how much longer till Ton arrives?”</p><p>“As of right now, Sir is slightly despairing about the possible admires and how to let them down softly. I will tell Sir that he’s keeping you waiting.”</p><p>Dread filled Bucky’s stomach. If Tony was considering how to let his admire down, that meant Tony’s heart was already given to someone else.</p><p>A gentle hand pressed on his shoulder, and Bruce send him an encouraging smile. “You never know who he thinks his admirer could be.”</p><p>“True. Ok, I’m ready.”</p><p>~~~</p><p>Tony was so not ready for this. Not only did he got his heart broken barely 24h ago. No, now he had to do the same to someone from the team. He just hoped it wasn’t his honey bear. Tony wouldn’t survive breaking Rhodey’s heart. Shifting anxiously on his soles, Tony waited for the elevator to stop on the common floor. His stomach felt like it was filled with lead.</p><p>With a soft ping, which was more a reassurance from JARVIS than a usual occurrence, he arrived. When he stepped out, he believed JARVIS had dropped him off the wrong floor. Scratch that, the wrong dimension. The floor was littered with glitter and heart-shaped confetti. From the ceiling hung heart-shaped balloons and lampions.</p><p>Shortly he was back on the thought of this being a prank from Loki or, for a horrific minute, he considered Loki being his admirer. ‘I guess, I have to bite the bullet…’</p><p>Steeling himself, Tony walked the last few steps to the rarely closed door and turned the knob manually for once. With a lot of caution, he entered what he knew used to be the common living room and now resembled a restaurant. Tony’s eyes fell on the tall man standing next to their table with a charming smile.</p><p>“Bucky?”</p><p>Tony had thought of everyone but him.</p><p>“Hi Tony, I hope you liked the cookies.”</p><p>“That was you?”</p><p>“Hm, yeah. You… erm. God, I used to be good at this. Uh- do you want to take a seat?”</p><p>Bucky was nervous. He shuffled his feet and his fingers twitched. Both things very unusual for Bucky. Could it really be true that Bucky liked him, like Tony liked Bucky? As if in trance, Tony nodded and walked closer to him. Before they were in touching distance, Tony remembered <em>why </em>this was a bad idea.</p><p>“Steve!”, his genius brain blurted out.</p><p>Bucky’s eyebrow drew together, confusion written on his features. “What’s with that punk?”</p><p>“You and Steve.” ‘ Helpful, Tony really!’</p><p>“Yeah me and Stevie are friends. What’s- oh… oh, you’re in love with Steve? I… shit. I don’t know if he feels the same… uhm god. I… if you want to I can-”</p><p>“Not me, you!” Still not very elaborated, Tony tried to work through his own confusion. What? Why would Bucky think he was in love with Steve and why would Bucky offer to help? They were the love story of the century!</p><p>“Me? I’m not… Oh my god. No!” Bucky nearly yelled as he realized what the problem had been. “God, doll, no. Steve and I aren’t together. Never will be. We’re brothers. God, I had to wash his sorry skinny ass while he had been sick before he got all dopped. I could never see him as something more than family. Not like I see you, sweetheart”</p><p>“You… you two aren’t dating?” His brain was slowly processing that information. If the two super soldiers weren’t dating, and if Bucky was here, asking for a date, a chance to <em>date </em>then all the heartache was in vain.</p><p>“No, we aren’t. He isn’t half as cute as you are. Not half as adorable, not even slightly as funny and not even a smidgen as loveable as you, doll.” Bucky’s voice was soft and tender, reassuring and hopeful. Honest in a way people rarely were with Tony.</p><p>“Well then, I was promised a romantic dinner if I agreed to the date. Just one thing.” He seated himself and let Bucky take the other place before he continued. “Don’t call me that.”</p><p>“What? Cute?”</p><p>The genius scoffed at that. “Nya, call me cute as much as you like, I am a cutie after all, but I’m not adorable.”</p><p>Smirking deviously, Barnes leaned forward, chin resting on his hand, and with the most sinful voice he had to offer, he drawled: “Doll, you’re the cutest in the world, but I bet I can make you like adorable as well.”</p><p>A faint blush graced Tony’s cheeks and wouldn’t leave for the rest of the night. Well, for the rest of the date until it got intensified later that night.</p><p> </p><p>~~~the end~~~</p><p><br/><br/><strong>Bonus snippet</strong>:<br/><br/>JARVIS played the recording from the beginning, all the other avengers gathered around the screen.</p><p>
  <b> <em> “Me? I’m not… Oh my god. No!” Bucky nearly yelled as he realized what the problem had been. “God, doll, no. Steve and I aren’t together. Never will be. We’re brothers. God, I had to wash his sorry skinny ass, while he had been sick, before he got all dopped. I could never see him as something more than family. Not like I see you, sweetheart”</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>“You… you two aren’t dating?” His brain was slow processing that information. If the two super soldiers weren’t dating, and if Bucky was here, asking for a date, a chance to date then all the heartache was in vain. </em> </b>
</p><p>Blushing brightly Steve grumbled all the while the others laughed, and Nat smirked self-satisfied.</p>
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